superstorm sandy. ripping up the east coast just days before the big election, it was no longer a hurricane when it hit new york and new jersey, but it was horrible just the same. taking lives, devastating thousands of homes and businesses. >> we were out of business for eight days. i mean, in a hundred years, carlos has never closed for more than a day. i've got to be honest with you, we were lucky. a lot of families, a lot of people, a lot of businesses got destroyed. >> stunning pictures like this one showing blackouts in manhattan appeared as millions lost power, some for days, some for weeks. >> i never thought i would find out how long it takes to charge up my iphone in a honda civic. you know, the first couple days without power, it was fun. it was like, oh, i'm camping inside. the third day, i was like, i'm going to kill my neighbor for his generator. >> best bipartisan problem solving amid the wreckage. republican governor chris christie and democratic president barack obama. best guy too craz